2 members of Paterson OEM charged with misconduct

By ABBOTT KOLOFF

STAFF WRITER |

The Record

PATERSON — Two unpaid volunteer auxiliary police officers were charged Thursday with official misconduct in relation to a fatal motorcycle accident last month and the program they were part of has been suspended, authorities said.

Juan Martinez, 30, of Paterson, and Jonathan Lopez, 29, of Hackensack, allegedly pursued a motorcycle in an unmarked police auxiliary car with the siren going, failed to stop when the motorcycle hit a parked car, and didn’t call superiors about the accident — all violations of department regulations.

Randolph Waddy, 31, of Garfield, the motorcyclist, was killed in the crash, authorities said.

J. Patrick McCabe, chief assistant Passaic County prosecutor, said auxiliary police officers, who operated under the city’s Office of Emergency Management, are not supposed to make traffic stops and are required to report accidents and render aid. He said the charges are related only to the officers’ conduct, and that they have not been charged with causing the accident.

“The investigation is ongoing,” he said.

Martinez, the driver on the night of the accident, and Lopez were unpaid auxiliary police officers whose role is similar to neighborhood watch groups, providing assistance to police by reporting crimes, but not taking action about them.

The two men allegedly turned on the siren and flashing lights in their unmarked 1995 white Jeep Cherokee on the night of April 17 and followed a motorcycle after warning the cyclist, who passed them, to slow down, McCabe said. The motorcycle hit a parked car at a bend on North First Street, he said.

Hamzah Abdus-Salaam, Waddy’s father and the imam of a Paterson mosque, said witnesses at the scene have told his attorney another story, saying the auxiliary police vehicle hit his son’s motorcycle. Authorities have said there were no signs the auxiliary police car was in an accident.

Abdus-Salaam also said he was disappointed the two men were not charged for causing his son’s accident, and that it took so long to bring any charges at all.

“They could have done this earlier,” Abdus-Salaam said. “We are happy they are being charged with something, but this isn’t going to cause us to be content.”

McCabe said Martinez and Lopez have not worked as auxiliary officers since the accident, and other officials said the entire program was suspended shortly afterward.

“The program has been suspended for now,” said Anthony Davis, councilman in the First Ward where the accident took place. “It will be under review to determine what direction it will take.”

Martinez and Lopez individually face one count of second-degree official misconduct, and Martinez also was charged with hindering prosecution. McCabe said Martinez “wasn’t forthcoming” during interviews about the accident.

Neither the accused nor their attorneys could be reached for comment Thursday night.

Martinez was being held in the Paterson municipal lockup and was expected to be transported to the Passaic County Jail, authorities said. It was unclear where Lopez was being held. Prosecutors said they recommended $100,000 bail for Martinez and $50,000 for Lopez.

Brandon Broderick, an attorney representing Abdus-Salaam, said he has spoken to four eyewitnesses who allege the auxiliary police vehicle struck Waddy’s motorcycle. He said one witness, who had been sitting in his car at the time of the accident, pursued the Jeep Cherokee but that it got away by using a siren to get through traffic. He said he is unsure whether any of the witnesses have spoken to prosecutors but added that two of them told him they are scheduled to talk to authorities Friday.

He said the charges came after a heated discussion this past Monday between prosecutors and the victim’s relatives.

“Everyone was raising their voices” during that meeting, Broderick said.

McCabe said that Waddy had passed the auxiliary police vehicle on the right on Arch Street and that the officers yelled at him to slow down. He added that Waddy stopped at a stop sign at the intersection of Arch and North First before making a right turn, and that the Jeep Cherokee followed with its siren blaring and lights flashing.

He said auxiliary officers “are not authorized to do traffic stops.” The Jeep Cherokee was “within 100 feet” of the motorcycle at the time of the crash, he said, and the auxiliary officers “failed to stop and continued on” instead of providing assistance and reporting the accident to a supervisor, as department rules required.

McCabe said auxiliary police are allowed to use sirens and flashing lights only under supervision of police officers.

2 members of Paterson OEM charged with misconduct

By ABBOTT KOLOFF

STAFF WRITER |

The Record

PATERSON — Two unpaid volunteer auxiliary police officers were charged Thursday with official misconduct in relation to a fatal motorcycle accident last month and the program they were part of has been suspended, authorities said.

Juan Martinez, 30, of Paterson, and Jonathan Lopez, 29, of Hackensack, allegedly pursued a motorcycle in an unmarked police auxiliary car with the siren going, failed to stop when the motorcycle hit a parked car, and didn’t call superiors about the accident — all violations of department regulations.

Randolph Waddy, 31, of Garfield, the motorcyclist, was killed in the crash, authorities said.

J. Patrick McCabe, chief assistant Passaic County prosecutor, said auxiliary police officers, who operated under the city’s Office of Emergency Management, are not supposed to make traffic stops and are required to report accidents and render aid. He said the charges are related only to the officers’ conduct, and that they have not been charged with causing the accident.

“The investigation is ongoing,” he said.

Martinez, the driver on the night of the accident, and Lopez were unpaid auxiliary police officers whose role is similar to neighborhood watch groups, providing assistance to police by reporting crimes, but not taking action about them.

The two men allegedly turned on the siren and flashing lights in their unmarked 1995 white Jeep Cherokee on the night of April 17 and followed a motorcycle after warning the cyclist, who passed them, to slow down, McCabe said. The motorcycle hit a parked car at a bend on North First Street, he said.

Hamzah Abdus-Salaam, Waddy’s father and the imam of a Paterson mosque, said witnesses at the scene have told his attorney another story, saying the auxiliary police vehicle hit his son’s motorcycle. Authorities have said there were no signs the auxiliary police car was in an accident.

Abdus-Salaam also said he was disappointed the two men were not charged for causing his son’s accident, and that it took so long to bring any charges at all.

“They could have done this earlier,” Abdus-Salaam said. “We are happy they are being charged with something, but this isn’t going to cause us to be content.”

McCabe said Martinez and Lopez have not worked as auxiliary officers since the accident, and other officials said the entire program was suspended shortly afterward.

“The program has been suspended for now,” said Anthony Davis, councilman in the First Ward where the accident took place. “It will be under review to determine what direction it will take.”

Martinez and Lopez individually face one count of second-degree official misconduct, and Martinez also was charged with hindering prosecution. McCabe said Martinez “wasn’t forthcoming” during interviews about the accident.

Neither the accused nor their attorneys could be reached for comment Thursday night.

Martinez was being held in the Paterson municipal lockup and was expected to be transported to the Passaic County Jail, authorities said. It was unclear where Lopez was being held. Prosecutors said they recommended $100,000 bail for Martinez and $50,000 for Lopez.

Brandon Broderick, an attorney representing Abdus-Salaam, said he has spoken to four eyewitnesses who allege the auxiliary police vehicle struck Waddy’s motorcycle. He said one witness, who had been sitting in his car at the time of the accident, pursued the Jeep Cherokee but that it got away by using a siren to get through traffic. He said he is unsure whether any of the witnesses have spoken to prosecutors but added that two of them told him they are scheduled to talk to authorities Friday.

He said the charges came after a heated discussion this past Monday between prosecutors and the victim’s relatives.

“Everyone was raising their voices” during that meeting, Broderick said.

McCabe said that Waddy had passed the auxiliary police vehicle on the right on Arch Street and that the officers yelled at him to slow down. He added that Waddy stopped at a stop sign at the intersection of Arch and North First before making a right turn, and that the Jeep Cherokee followed with its siren blaring and lights flashing.

He said auxiliary officers “are not authorized to do traffic stops.” The Jeep Cherokee was “within 100 feet” of the motorcycle at the time of the crash, he said, and the auxiliary officers “failed to stop and continued on” instead of providing assistance and reporting the accident to a supervisor, as department rules required.

McCabe said auxiliary police are allowed to use sirens and flashing lights only under supervision of police officers.